Find the Missing Number — Animals — Grade 1

The unknown here is the amount removed, not the answer. A group of cows, sheep and a hen is pictured, the number left is written, and the child finds how many were taken away to get there. That is change-unknown subtraction — a step beyond plain take-away, because the child reasons about the missing middle. Kept within twenty, it leans on counting up and on knowing which take-away makes the result, and the pictured animals keep that reasoning anchored to something a child can count.

Counting up from the result to the starting group is the natural strategy here, and it quietly connects subtraction to addition — what added to the leftover gives the start. That connection is central to Grade 1 number sense, and finding the missing part with animals the child can count keeps the reasoning grounded and checkable.

Children who like animals take to the puzzle of working backward, and it suits a child ready for a little more than plain take-away. When this feels easy, try find the missing number with household things, or find the missing number with breakfast. You can also browse every subtraction worksheet or the whole animals collection for grade 1 — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.